A Pinched Nerve; Not A Tickler

It's Halloween and I'm in pain.  Yep, I've had to rest my left arm from doing any craft... this is no fair.  I also am not allowed on a computer.

Okay, I got around that last one.  

I rolled up a towel and am leaning on it.

Over the past week, my left arm has been giving me horrible pain - and on Wednesday night, I just couldn't sleep.  So, what happened?  I went to the doctors yesterday and I've pinched and inflamed my Ulna nerve... yowch!  Not exactly what I thought it would have been, but at least I know how to treat it.  The doctor said for me to sit and read a book; so I have been doing that, and surfing the net and looking at things.

But this year, I'm not celebrating Halloween.  For the first time ever, I can't dress up my house and get the spooky on for the kids - not that any of them ever showed up at my place.  I'm unable to carve a pumpkin and I just can't afford the lollies or anything.  
So, what I have done is bring my Halloween Box over to my parent's house so Mum can dip into it this year.  I also brought over the decorations so they can have the fun I normally have.  It was missing a few things, but she said it's good I went to the trouble of making up the baggies of kookie stuff for the kids.  

Anyway, I've been sitting here just looking around Facebook and reading a few things.  My left arm is still twinging a little from time to time; otherwise I'm good.  The main problem I have is that this arm will take a while to heal seeing I'm left-handed and have been trying to feed myself and do other things with my right hand, things I do normally with my left arm... I know that sounds silly, but as much rest as possible will help it in every way.

How fortunate was I that my older brother broke my little finger on my left hand when I was 12?  Yep, I have been in this position before, yonks ago... and now I'm back in it again over 25 years later.  Oh well, I guess things happen for a reason... I think this has happened to tell me to slow down; and slow down I'll have to do.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember I'm always here... and have a good'n'spooky Halloween - all 3 days of it - as tonight is the first day of the 3-day celebration of the dead.  Tomorrow is All Saint's Day and 2nd, November is The Day of the Dead - where people who celebrate this time of year dress in black and celebrate the 3-day festival to its fullest.  It's also the best time of year to talk to anyone who's passed away.

October's Something Different!

Wow!  Has is been something different alright!  I spent a good part of this month with my parents out of the country and only the last week or so of it with them at home.  They've had the best tour overseas and a wonderful welcome home!  But Mum and Dad have spent the last week catching up with paperwork and looking at their bank statements too.

Anyway, this was mixed in with what I've been up to this month - which made this month very, very busy for me!

On the day before my birthday, Aunty Helen, Kate and Oma took me out to lunch at the Lions Den at Springwood.  This is an AFL Club for the Brisbane Lions.  I don't support the team so I didn't join up there, but the food there was great!  And it was a lovely atmosphere too.  Kate couldn't stay long, but she gave me $40 - as she didn't know what to get me - and Aunty Helen gave me two $20 Bunnings Vouchers, and Oma gave me a Birthday card.  
After lunch we were off to McDonalds for coffee.  It was loud there, but the coffee was lovely.  What a day!
The next day, was my birthday.  I spent half the day at Logan Emergency Ward; but it wasn't for me.  One of my friends had a huge panic attack and I had to call an ambulance for him and follow it to the hospital in the car.  Then a few hours later, I had to pick him up with a friend who had arrived at my house... it was strange.

I bought a new outdoor setting, completed my backyard makeover and am very pleased with the finished product of my garden.  And then, I started looking at working on getting my parents' house ready to be lived in again.  The housework was done, the sheets on their bed was changed over and other things fixed up too.

By 12th, October, I had finished the backyard!  I was so pleased with it!  I still had to fix up a few things inside my house - but they were small things.  
And I couldn't believe I had spent the last four months driving around the place getting everything done... it's been so much fun!  And today, I'm just tired from this week.  

Over the last few weeks, I've been busily working on my Crafty Pegs and organising myself financially to get into The Creative Markets here in Logan City - at Springwood State School actually - and it's just been a busy, busy month for me.  I seems I don't stop with either the pegs, the garden or organising the banking details of the car Dad's hoping to buy me for Christmas.  I'm just looking forward to getting time to myself... and soon!  However, it seems as though the next few months are going to be busy as hell!

And with tonight being Halloween, I've been busily carving away at a pumpking this morning to have it ready for tonight.  I can't wait... I hope to have some children come by.  If not?  Well, never mind.  I don't care if they don't come by, so long I celebrate All Hallow's Eve.

Until my next post for next month, take care, keep safe and warm and remember,  I'm always here.

Hot Day Out Shopping

Today, it's the first of November.  However last night's post got posted today instead of yesterday.  Oh well, that's how late I was up last night... yep, I got into the unclaimed lollies from Halloween; yes I know, very funny of me and I was on a sugar high for a while or until it wore off at around 1am.

Well, today, I looked outside and it was a lovely, breezy hot day.  So, I washed up, threw out the pumpkins from last night (otherwise I'd be stuck with rotting pumpkins) and then readied myself to go out to the computer store on the service road near Springwood.  I caught the right bus and pressed the button for Moss Street, but the driver didn't stop.  I had to tell him him he missed my stop; ironically he had missed the same stop for another person on the bus too.  Well, he stopped for us and we were right outside 'Game Dude', right where I wanted to be - and right where the other guy wanted to be too.  We both went inside and I found what I was looking for immediately as a great price!  
What I was needing was a hard drive caddy/case to hold a hard drive from my old computer so I could plug it into my new computer.  However, I was asked it it was plugged in via ribbon cable or a clip; this was something I didn't know.  So, the lady who served me said it was probably safer to buy one of these caddies which serviced both - just so I didn't have to come back in.  And for $39.00, I have this great little caddy that fits my hard drive in it!  To think!  I was going to buy the same thing from Harvey Norman for $69.95!  I got a great deal!  Well, once bought, I went outside with my Bunnings sun umbrella and looked at how far  I was from the bus station - and it wasn't that far.  So, I walked to the bus station and saw the man who was at the store with me buying his gear.  We chatted and I showed him what I bought.  When he was working - before he retired - he told me that he was right into the computer and programming game; and I had bought well and smartly.  He also told me that laptops were all the rage too; but there are people around the place who still love their desktops - like myself.
Anyway, we said our farewells and I decided to not catch the bus home but to head off to Rivers where there's a sale going on.  I took my time and walked up Fitzgerald Avenue and to the large store to have a look around.  This place is mammoth!  I've only walked past it and this was the first time I've been inside.  I found some singlet tops that were lovely and pretty; but I had go a size below what I am for them to fit - as they were a large make.  But these were also around $8 - $10 each.  I tried on a collection of shirts and only bought two as they were the only ones that suited me and I felt comfortable in.  One is rather thin; so I will have to buy a white singlet to go under it and sew it into the lining of this first shirt as you can see straight through it, and I want to wear this one with a skirt or jeans.  So, I'll see what I can do.  The other one is a peasant top and it's lovely and will match a few skirts and skirts I already have.

Now, I've been at the house for a good few hours and I have - so far  - had 2 ice coffees, a banana, some cheese and biscuits and been online since I arrived here.  And I've taken over a dozen photographs too around the place.  It's around 3:30pm and the breeze coming through the place is nice and cool and I'm looking forward to going  home and finishing up on my washing up.  I did half of it this morning, and have just pots and pans to wash up when I get back there.  The rubbish has been put out from last night - and boy, the bags for that were heavy! - and so I'm just hanging out here waiting for Mum and Dad to return back to their place to nab a lift home from them.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember I'm always here.     

Happy Halloween!

I've had a good day today.  And being Halloween, it's always bound to be something weird going on.  But first, I pulled out the pumpkins I've been saving up on top of my fridge and carved them up.  They took around an hour or so to do in my back yard and I totally enjoyed making a mess seeing I didn't really have to clean up all that much.
Meanwhile, my neighbours, Sharni and Luke cleaned up their place before going out to Centrelink.  While they were out, I pulled out all my Halloween stuff and prepared my house for tonight.  Then, I received a phone call from the antenna people - who I had called earlier that day - and they said they were going to be at my place just after lunch.  About half an hour before they arrived, my neighbours returned home and I checked my letterbox; and before long, they were here to do the work.
It took about 2 hours to check out the units, including the reception, the antenna, wiring and all.  They replaced the antenna with an Australian-made one, put it up higher and anchored it better then worked on the wiring and fixed it with an internal booster so that the signal was stronger.  What used to be in range of 4 - 10 ended up being in the ranges of 40 - 50 by the end of the afternoon.  They were great people to work with and very professional too, tidying up after themselves too.  And the signal on my television was great!  And my neighbours are very happy with the results too.
Anyway, at around 5pm or so, I put out the pumpkins, lit them, hung up the scary skull on the door and turned on my front light - to show my house was open for any scarily dressed kids for Halloween were welcomed - when Luke's Mum walked around to see my pumpkins when Sharni and Luke.  They were amazed at how great they looked all lit up and Sharni took a photo.  Luke's Mum took a good look at me and asked if I lived around Runcorn way and I said I had; but it was yonks ago when I was 24 years of age and had moved out of home for the first time and I only lived there for 6 months.  She mentioned two names:  Dan Humpheries and John Barber... and I jumped, I couldn't believe she had known them.
Well!  We talked for over an hour about everything!  She was amazed at how much I knew about Dan and how little I knew about John.  It was fun.  Sharni and Luke thought I might have hit it off with John, but I said we only saw each other as brother and sister; never anything else.  And now he's at Forest Lake with a woman who pushed all his friends out of his life.  But it's so good to catch up with somebody from my past.
After we chatted, we had a few laughs about people and school and what people thought of us when we went to school; and Luke and Sharni laughed at what kids thought about me... and also thought what I said were great comebacks.  I said that after a while I got used to thinking fast and it was almost second-nature.  And being a writer did help a lot.  
Even though I got not a single kid in costume knocking on my door this Halloween, I'm so happy I was able to catch up with an old friend from the past.  What's even better is that her son is living next door to me with his girlfriend.  It's so good to know we all get along so well to stay as friends.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.       

Hot Shopping Day

Last night was a stinker of a night!  Thank the Gods there was a lovely breeze lulling me to sleep; but I still didn't sleep well.  There were people over my fence who decided last night would be a good one to have an all-night get-together, beers and leave all their lights on for a good yakkity-yak... and boy!  Where they loud!  So, once every few hours, I'd be woken by one of their loud, voice-carrying laughs!  Don't you hate it when that happens?  I sure do.

Anyway, today, we had a few dramas here at the unit complex that ran me a bit late and so I gave the fruit shop a miss this morning and went straight out and did my shopping.  I found a great Glow-Mesh clutch bag for $10 and a little coin purse for $1.00 and then it was off to Woolworths for my chocolate and a few packets of lollies for my Birthday Buddy's Birthday Present.
I walked to Logan Central Plaza with my umbrella up and found there was a lovely breeze blowing.  However, I still felt the heat coming up off the car park as I walked along.  It felt good once I was inside the shopping centre and out of the hot day.  I skipped Woodys Music Store - and have decided to wait until after Christmas to make another layby; to save my money up for my next gardening facelift.  And so far, it's gone well.
I went into K-Mart and looked for a replacement picture frame for the multi-photo frame that got destroyed a few weeks back, but they didn't have any in stock.  So, I bought a few Christmas Ornaments instead to send away for the Bookcrossing Ornament Exchange (I've bought a few extra for Mum so she doesn't have to stress about hers this year).

Coles was next.  I did my shopping there quickly and kept to the list.  I did forget to buy the Cranberry juice but that doesn't matter; as it's the only item I forgot.  But I did get myself a good-sized Jack-o-lantern pumpkin to carve for Halloween... very cool.  Quite a few people didn't know they weren't for eating, though and didn't think about buying them as they were quite expensive (at $2.95 per kg). One lady had two grandchildren with her and one of them picked a big one up to throw it - thinking it was solid - and he wouldn't put it back until I took it off him (as his grandmother couldn't leave his brother alone).  She asked me if they were 'seriously hollow or are you just saying that?'. I shook my head and said they are grown for this time of the year and they are indeed hollow inside with a thin shell and just pulp throughout... and the dopier and more stupid they look, the scarier they are when you put a candle inside them.
Well, when I paid for my shop, it didn't come to as much as I feared and then I ordered a cab and just as I walked out to the rank, one pulled up and asked if I needed one... well, of course I took it.  You see, I had forgotten my esky for my cold stuff.  So, I really needed to get my cold stuff home asap; and it's just as well I didn't wait.  Anyway, the driver was a fast, defensive driver and got me home fast and helped me with my things.  And before I knew it, all the groceries were put away.
By around 2:30pm, I had been to the fruit shop - as I thought to leave the fruit-shopping until later today.  However, the later I left it, the hotter it became.  So, I just took off and got my stuff and came home as fast as I could.  Now, I'm all set for the next week and or so; foodwise.

Right now, it's a bit past 10pm.  The unit complex is quiet and people are going to bed; but how they're going to sleep tonight is a mystery because it's still so hot.  I hope we have a nice breeze tonight.  I'm drinking some gastrolytes as it will help me with the heat; and I have problems with my salts suddenly dropping in this weather.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

And Friday's Here!

It's been a weird ol' week for me.  On Sunday, I celebrated Halloween and loved every minute of it by dressing up and chaperoning some of the kids around the unit complex.  It was cool.  My friends said I scrubbed up well to look as evil as I did.  Little Miss Stevie loved me no matter what I dressed as and I have lollies still left over from that night clogging up my cupboards.  Oh well, it was fun for a while.  At least I'm not left with amount I had last year.

Also, I carved up 2 pumpkins instead of the one.  They were big 5kg ones and they looked great... until the possums had a go at them in the back yard.  Jeez, they must have thought I left them a great meal that night!  But it was short-lived as the two pumpkins were gone by Tuesday afternoon for the rubbish pick-up on Wednesday.

And speaking of Tuesday - which was Melbourne Cup Day - I won big time!  I got $88 for Americain and So You Think.  Two great horses; and the second one has already been sold to go overseas!  That was very quick!  Well I didn't just bet on the biggest horse race around; I went out to a luncheon for Epilepsy Queensland.  They had a lovely set-up and an Elvis Presley impersonator and a big screen for the race (which some idiot woman walked up to and changed the channels when she was trying to get to volume turned up... for what reason?  I'm not sure).

Lunch itself was okay... I guess.  The meat-eaters were eating better than the vegetarians.  Their meals came out first and they finished first.  It wasn't well-planned, but dessert was delicious.  The race was just after lunch; which I had to hoover down because I had about 20 minutes to eat it... not a very long time to eat just chickpeas, spinach, potatoes, beetroot and herbs with sesame seeds.  Anyway, I felt like I was being fed something from a Third World Country... not something I'd make in my own home (and believe me, this was something I'd be able to make in my own home too... it would have better if I had something in front of me I didn't know how to make).  Mum's lunch was chicken thigh with Italian bacon, white sauce, asparagus, potato and snow peas.  I would have happily eaten that if I didn't eat meat!  For one thing, it was served up first, and it looked and smelled delicious!  Mine smelled nice... but tasted well, bland.

The best thing out of that day was that I won $88 on a race.  Just as well I only make a bet on that day of the year and no others.  But otherwise, I never lose. 

For the rest of the week, I have been battling with my sinus'.  Mum thinks I've picked up something from the Epilepsy Queensland Luncheon... but I don't get sick that quickly.  Anyway, I'm gong well, as I'm feeling a lot better than I did yesterday.  The best thing is that I slept like a log last night; and slept the whole night through after gargling with salty water twice... blech!... why is it the best things for you always taste the worst?

Yesterday I finish my 3rd book of the Midnight Breed series and then began my 4th book on it.  I'm just zipping through these books!  It's great.  I love how it's written and how it's all explained.  Well, that's it for another week.  Not all that exciting, but that's my week nonetheless.  A funny smell has invaded Logan... it's smells like burning metal... yuk.  Not long after I smelled it, I heard a lot of sirens - fire engine sirens - take off towards Logan Central.  I hope it all okay there because that smell isn't good.  Until my next post, take care.

All Hallow's Eve!

Well, last night was Halloween and I love this time of the year!  It's all about celebrating the dead, dressing up and giving out lollies the kiddies.  However, little do people - well a lot of people - know, this celebration isn't just one day, it's a three day festival commemorating the dead and celebrating the birth, death and rebirth of our Mother Earth.  It's also the Pagan New Year.. the but church won't let you think that.

I've been celebrating this time of the year since I was little and will always celebrate it.  I love dressing up my house and getting the lolly bags ready and carving the pumpkins too.  And the costumes you can get are just fantastic.  Forget about hiring, buy your own and you can have a costume for every year you can pick from without having to worry about where yours has been before you put it on.  I have had my witch's costume for around five or six years now and it's my pride and joy; and it really suits me too once I have the make up on and my black stockings.  It's brilliant and really makes a change to usual costumes that are thrown together by people by them picking through their wardrobe.

Yesterday, I had my pumpkins out by around 6pm and the big skull on my door too.  The place was ready and I was dressed too with my make up on; but I had problems with my necklace.  I couldn't get it on.  So, I walked to friend's unit to ask if she could help me and they did.  With a few other friends around, they saw that I scrubbed up pretty well and looked completely different in my costume.  Photos were taken and one of the guys took a photo on his phone saying I looked hot for an evil chick.  

The only kids who came around were the kids I was going to chaperon around the unit complex; as the parents trusted me enough to know which units to go to and which ones to leave alone.  So, at around 7:30pm, we walked around and to a few units, but most weren't open for 'business' - so to say.  Mine looked the best with two pumpkins, a scary mask on the front door and a few freaky stickers on the window.  But, there were two others near the front where the owners had tried hanging flies from trees, and other scary things.  And another lady had carved a pumpkin very skillfully.  Doesn't he look great?  All up, took around half an hour to get around the place and the kids only got a handful of lollies... doesn't seem right somehow that they go to all this trouble and yet they don't get the treats.  Well, I enjoy dressing up no matter what the occasion.

Once the time came, I performed my first Halloween Circle in the back yard in two years (the first one since the uni students over the back fence were evicted; now I was really nervous about my next door neighbours.  But she already caught an eyeful of what I was wearing and thought I was weirdo... so what else could I do to make this even more evident?  Yep, declare that I'm a witch in real life!).  It felt great to get back out into the night air, practicing what I was supposed to.  I totally enjoyed it and knew this is where I belonged... celebrating nature and enjoying the powers that be.  Once I closed the circle, I put the pumpkins out in the back yard and turned the television off and put a few things away.  Otherwise, I was exhausted from another Pagan Sabbath finished up.  I was off to bed... but first, I took off the costume and was back into civilian clothing and scraped off the make up before reading another thirty-five pages of the 'Midnight Breed' series: 'Midnight Kiss' - book 3.

 


Until my next Halloween Post.  I hope you all had a good one!  And until my next post, take care. 

October's Something Different!

The differences this month were big and wonderful; and a lot of it had to do with the weather.  Being October, it's supposed to be warm and muggy, but it's turned out to be a cool and wet kind of Spring.  So, I got in to some serious Spring Cleaning, beginning on the first week of this month.  I cleaned up the lounge room, dusted it, vacuumed and made it nice and tidy.  Well, I couldn't do anything else as it was pouring rain for a good part of the weekend!  So, I was stuck inside with my mess crowding me.  What else could I do?

This month was also a different kinda month because I had my birthday.  I prepare for it in what some people think is a strange kind of way.  I write a journal entry in my manual journal on the day before about what I've done and who I've met over the year of being my age; to see what I've achieved, what books I've read and who I've met (if anyone) of importance.  Seeing my memory isn't the best, I think it's the best way to keep it going.

I had a great day though.  I received a $50 book voucher from a wonderful friend (Nick Allott) in the mail, a $50 music voucher from my brother for Rockaways music at Springwood, Mum took me out to lunch at Runcorn Tavern, we sussed out a new home theatre system and we bought some skin care products and other goodies too. 

By the 10th, October, I had tidied up the house completely.  What was beginning to take me over a year to tidy up, only took me a few days out of sheer boredom due to the weather becoming sour on us.  We had had a storm one night and then it just poured rain for almost a week!  So, we were stuck inside again with nothing to do.  So, I cleaned up - and cleaned out - the whole house and it was nice and tidy for about a week or so.  Well, until I used the place again.

On 9th, October, we went out Gabe & Kat's house to celebrate Gabe's and Riley's birthdays together.  Gabe made home made pizza as music played on the stereo while Riley and I stuffed around on the net and Mum, Kat and Dad talked to Gabe too.  It was really cool.  The dinner was great, I gave Gabe his gift of a Jeff Beck vinyl from 1967-68 and he was stoked!  It's titled 'Truth' and Gabe said it was something he's been dying to find and play ... so it looks like he'll be getting out his turntable from storage and hooking it up.

On 16th, October, we went to Uncle Allan's birthday party.  It was so much fun; but freezing cold! So we all rugged up and tried to keep warm, but as the sun went down and wind died down, the chill really hit us.  We were all grateful for the hot food and coffee and tea that was available later on in the night.  However, I had coffee and I was up until all hours.

But that wasn't all, when I had just posted on here, shuffled off to bed and was about to get to sleep, somebody's car horn blared us all out of bed.  Not just a beep-beep sound... one long continuous blare for about 3 minutes!  It drove everyone nuts.  And if that wasn't bad enough, my next door neighbours were up at 6:45am moving their cars around, pulling the trailer out of the back yard and mowing the law by 7am while we were all trying to sleep in.  It was so inconsiderate of her... she slammed all the doors on the place and the cars too.  

Over the last two weeks, I've been getting my nose into my very first book spiral on Bookcrossing and so far - out of 6 books - I've read almost three of them.  I'm zooming through the books so fast it's amazing!  It's a brilliant series and I can't wait until I pick up the book again.  Yesterday I was at the Logan Art Gallery alone (which normally I would have been bummed about) but I thought it would give me time to read more of the third book because there's nobody there with me... strange that.  So, I read about 60 pages of that book!  Wow!  How weird of me; normally, I'm flat out reading 30 pages of a book in public; I'm so self-conscious about how long I sit for in public when I'm reading and how much I concentrate on a book.  But not yesterday.

I've begun looking into getting the house ready for tonight for Halloween.  The two pumpkins are carved, lollies are ready, my costume is aired out and I'm hoping the weather holds for tonight.  I've yet to put a skull on my front screen door, tea candles along the window sill outside and work on decorating inside too.  Otherwise, most of it is done.  I'll be taking photos as usual.  

Until next time, this is my post of something different in my month of October.  What have you done that's outside the square? Until my next post, take care.

End of the Week...

Well, the sun's out and I've got laundry on the line.  Yep, it's the end of another week; and they say it's going to rain all weekend.  That'd be right, just when I want to get out in the yard and pull out all the horrible weeds, it'll pour.

Otherwise, I don't mind the rain.  It'll give me time to get into my most recent vampire romance series I've been sent through Bookcrossing.  It's a 6-book series and I've knocked over book one in a little over a week; and now I'm plowing through book two at 30 - 40 pages in one sitting.  So, I'm going well!  So far this year, I've read 14 books, and out of those books, I've only put down 4 unfinished.  Now, that's not too bad.  Seeing this vampire series is a good one, I'm only too glad to be able to get through it.

Not only that, today is my niece's 11th birthday.  I phoned her at 7am this morning and wished her a happy birthday at her Mum's house and she was thrilled to hear from me!  I said that I sent her gift through Facebook, but I will be sending her a cool gift through the mail early next week; with express mail.  She's so excited about that.  I'm looking forward to getting it to her as I know what I'm going to buy her and have had my eye on it for some time.  I'm also going to include some cool little rings and bracelets one of my friends sent me from up the coast too.

 And speaking of friends, another friend is having a birthday next week.  My Bookcrossing Birthday Buddy's parcel was sent off to her today full of books.  One lot was a trilogy I just can't get into; so I don't see why I should let it gather dust on my bookshelves.  And then there's two paranormal romances I thought she'd enjoy (no not vampire romance; they're something else).  I included a few bookmarks and other goodies too with a lovely card.

Anyway, I've been busily washing up, doing laundry, tidying up and making the bed lately; trying to keep the house the way it was last Monday or so.  It's hard when you're not used to house-keeping.  But seeing I've cleaned out most of the place, it's just a matter of keeping a lot of the stuff off the floor and hanging up my laundry when it's all done.  Otherwise, I'm going well!  Most of my bad habits are being replaced by good ones; and that's all it takes really.

This morning, I hammered up some palings of my fence, fed, Little Miss Stevie, put on the laundry and washed up a bit from last night and wiped down the counter before making breakfast.  The two pumpkins that are for Halloween are on the top of the fridge where a plate normally is.  I'm just having a hard time trying figure out where to put the darn plate... I'll find a place for the next week.  And that week will flash by quickly.  Quicker than I can imagine seeing I've got Halloween to organise for, the house to do up, the lollies to organise and my costume to air out from the wardrobe as well as my make up to sort out too... I really need new black lipstick as the one I have cakes up on me and looks terrible.  

Well, that's all from me for now.  I'll keep you all up to date with what's going on my life right up until All Hallow's Eve.  I was going to go to a Samhain art exhibition in Fortitude Valley, but I think dressing up in Goth clothes and going there will be a bad idea; it's just too dangerous.  It's best if I keep my Halloween celebrations around here and that's it.

Until my next post, take care!

Slower Than....

Yep, this week began great, hot and sunny; and has turned into a slow wet week.  Monday was my day for parcels and goodies in the mail.  Yesterday was another day where I ventured out and about to see a nice dry, hot day of what the Australian Spring was supposed to look like.  It was also a great day for me to buy two Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins from Woolworths at Garden City.  And I tell ya... they're really milking the season for what it's worth!  I paid $20 each for these things when not two years ago, I paid only $7.00 or so for one at the same place.  So, I have to ask:  what's happened?  Besides a good growing season, is anything else different?  I think not.  I'm thinking it's good old-fashioned greed! And it's absolutely disgusting how they're going to take us customers for a ride about this!

Well, enough of my bell-aching about this.  Today, I woke to a cloudy day and I concluded that my leg aching on me two nights ago before I turned out the light was a correct prediction that rain was on its way.  I remember thinking it was most probably two days or so by the way it cramped up.  And last Saturday night, my Uncle's hip was playing up (the poor guy was in agony for most of the night) and so was my Dad's hip and my leg too.  All three of us were sure signs that more bad weather was on its way.

I went to the post office early today and posted off four envelopes overseas; well four more to the same places actually.  It's Label Exchange time again on Bookcrossing I thought to divvy up the rest of what I had left out of last years' lot and share them amongst the four people I was given.  So, off those envelopes went.  I hope the people like what they receive.  It may not be much, but it's something; and all I have left from labeling lately.

Today, I'm going to finish reading book one of the 'Midnight Breed' series.  It's the fastest I've read a book in a long time... and it's only taken me a little under a week!  So, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them; there's six in the series.  It ought to be great!

But Dad doesn't understand something.  You see, I had begun a book he had given me on my birthday and had to put it to one side until I get the 'Midnight Breed' series out of the way; then I'll pick it up again.  I'm on a time limit.  I can't just say I'm reading something else which I can read any old time.  I have to read what is of importance first; then relax with my own books next, and the one he gave me is my relaxation book which I'm happy to take my time with.

Well, there's not much more to say.  It was my older brother's birthday yesterday and his Facebook was inundated with all his buddies and family wishing him a happy birthday.  We got in contact with him through chat online and skype; and then it was over.  His time was up... bummer.  Oh well, at least we know he's having a great time and there'll be wonderful stories to tell us when Kat and him get home.

Right now, it's looking grey outside and the birds are singing - a sure sign it's going to pour rain again.  I have washing up to do, the kitchen floor to clean (I don't see why I bother seeing the minute I wash it, I drop something on it!) and the lounge room to tidy up.  Otherwise, I might get in and vacuum once the sun is out again in a few days' time.  In the mean time, I'll be reading the 'Midnight Breed' Series and getting into it in a big way and review the books one by one; then as a group... before I pass them onto the next person on the list.  I can't wait to get through them and find out how it all goes and what happens next! 

Until my next post, take care!

All Hallow's Eve 2009

Well, I couldn't let this event go by without saying something about it. Yes, I celebrated Halloween yesterday; and last night, along with the rest of the world! What a great celebration of the dead. And who would know it, but this very night is the first of three days of celebrating the dead. The next day is All Saints Day and then November 2nd is All Soul's Day or better known as The Day of the Dead. It's all a big celebration of how the living and the dead are the closest to each other at this time of the year; beginning with All Hallow's Eve. And we don the masks and hand out the treats on Halloween night to scare away the evil spirits. The good ol' Jack'o'lantern even has a steeped history in himself; as does his colours. And there's a lot of things about Halloween that are linked with historical events; such as: it's the day that Harry Houdini died.

I totally enjoy the fun and spookiness that is All Hallow's Eve. I dress up the house, make lolly-bags and get into costume myself. It's all fun and games after the sun goes down. I even pull out the vampire and horror flicks from my dvd collection if there's nothing of the likes on television (which this year, there was 'Psycho' on ABC2! What a brilliant Hitchcock film!) and set a place at my table for the dead. In my case, I call on anyone who would care to join me for dinner and light a candle so I'd know they're there. There were only four kids, but they all dressed up really well; and I only got a photo of two of them (as the other two were new ones on the rounds; with a nervous guardian in the shadows. I didn't think it would be proper to ask for a photograph at night of their kids). But in the bags, I put in super-bounce balls, mini-mazes, yo-yos, glo-sticks, bubble bottles and only a couple of lollies from the Natural Confectionery Company (as they have no artificial colours or flavours in them; ideal for me to eat as leftover sugar fixes the following week!).

And once the movie was finished and kids were gone, I waited until midnight was upon us. Then, I went out into my back garden and performed a Halloween Circle to call in the Pagan New Year. And only 20 minutes later, it began to rain! Now, I call that good timing!

If you'd like to know more about this fun-filled holiday, you can google it, or visit this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/the-history-of-halloween_n_321021.html